Police shoot, kill suspect after standoff

PARAMOUNT >> A man suspected of pointing a gun at deputies and leading law enforcement on a chase through Long Beach and into Paramount died at a hospital Friday morning after being shot by SWAT team members at the end of a four-hour standoff, authorities said.

The suspect, whose name was not released pending notification of next of kin, was stopped by a sheriff’s deputy shortly before 11 p.m. Thursday by a Lakewood deputy for a traffic violation, officials said. The suspect pointed a gun at the deputy before speeding away, according to a sheriff’s spokesman.

A short time later, a deputy assigned to the Cerritos station spotted the suspect’s car and tried to pull him over; the suspect refused to yield and a pursuit ensued through several cities. The man drove west on the Artesia (91) Freeway in Long Beach, exited at Cherry Avenue and then headed north into Paramount.

During the pursuit, the suspect entered and exited the highway and stopped and started several times, at one point stopping to let three passengers out of the car, officials said.

Deputies deployed spike strips, disabling the suspect’s car in the 7400 block of Jackson Street just west of Garfield Avenue, according to live broadcasts of the pursuit.

He remained barricaded in the vehicle until just after 3 a.m., when he finally exited and pointed a handgun at a deputy, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Members of the SWAT team fired shots, wounding the man, according to a witness at the scene.

The suspect, in his 20s, was taken to a hospital, where he died at 3:41 a.m., coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter said.

No deputies were injured, authorities said.

A handgun belonging to the suspect was recovered at the scene, according to Lillian Peck of the sheriff’s office.